Tragedy as Morocco's heatwave claims 21 lives in a single day

The weather situation is challenging in many places around the world. The heat is pouring down from the sky in Morocco as well. On Wednesday, 24 July, in the region of Beni Mellal, about 124 miles southeast of the tourist hotspot Casablanca, thermometers showed temperatures as high as 48℃.

This is Morocco's sixth consecutive year of drought and extremely high temperatures. Within 24 hours, due to the heat, 21 deaths were recorded in one city – Beni Mellal.

Among the heatwave victims, 17 people died in hospitals and four outside medical facilities. "Most of the deaths involve people suffering from chronic diseases and the elderly, and the high temperatures worsened their health conditions, leading to their deaths," stated the regional medical services in an official statement.

The Moroccan Ministry of Health reported that temperatures were slightly lower the day after, i.e., on Thursday, 25 July, in the Beni Mellal region. However, it was still hard to talk about relief from the heat. On that day, the mercury reached 42℃.

The European Copernicus Climate Change Service has monitored global weather phenomena since 1940. On Sunday, 21 July, experts recorded an accurate record: the average air temperature on the Earth's surface reached 17℃.

Experts predict that 2024 may be the warmest year since measurements began. Climate change and the natural weather phenomenon El Niño, which ended in April, impact such a forecast. As a result of the increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, we will undoubtedly witness new records being broken in the next few months or years, admitted Buontempo, director of Copernicus.